As mobile voice and data demands increase, demand for wireless mobile devices that can operate over a plurality of radio access technology increases. The various radio access technologies operate over a range of frequencies in the electromagnetic spectrum. In order for a mobile device to interface with voice and data networks over these various radio access technologies, the mobile device will need to be equipped with an antenna configured to operate over the relevant bandwidth for that radio access technology. Typically, this requires having multiple antenna Stock Keeping Units (SKUs) with each SKU directed to providing access to a subset of the total bandwidth required to communicate effectively over the plurality of radio access technologies.
Additionally, as demand for voice and data services increases, so does the demand for mobile devices to have greater processing power and support a greater number of user features. This demand persists even in contrast to a drive for thinner mobile devices that contain less internal physical space in which to house the processors, memory and various other electrical and mechanical structures required to meet the demand for greater processing power and greater number of user features.
In this regard, less physical space within the mobile devices can be utilized for an antenna(s) to allow the mobile device to operate over various radio access technologies. Accordingly, a need exists for a single broadband antenna design capable of operating over frequencies relevant to a plurality of radio access technologies.